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Talk:Nikon FM3A
"Minuscule" sales? Though FM3a sales remained steady, they were miniscule compared to Nikon's other cameras Compared to the sales of this or that digital P&S, no doubt they were. But compared with sales of the F6 or even the F100? At least in possibly atypical Japan, I don't think so. I very often saw (see) them, and Nikon advertised them a lot; it's hard to believe that a company such as Nikon would waste money on the lavish advertising of something that wouldn't sell. I could very well be wrong. Is there any evidence either way? -- Hoary 04:30, 26 May 2006 (EDT) Best answer I can give is that based on U.S. camera retail sales, the FM3a was a very minor player in overall Nikon SLR sales, averaging perhaps a few hundred to a few thousand units a month compared to the average Nikon SLR and DSLR at 20,00-90,000 units a month. This is bolstered by the fact that all Nikon FM3a production could be handled on small assembly lines in Japan that did not run full-time, and the camera was never offshored as say the N70 was to Thailand or more recently, to China. Nikon has never denied claims that they did not actually make any consistent profit on FM3a sales. I will see if I can come up with some further information -Glen. :Thanks for the reply, both illuminating and plausible. -- Hoary 03:11, 27 May 2006 (EDT) Minimal Space Lubrication Refers to Nikon's now almost-forgotten practice on older (F3, F2, FM, FM3a, etc) mechanical SLR film cameras of designing and manufacturing mechanical tolerances to be as tight as possible consistent with proper functioning. This design imperative meant minimal area available for lubrication, requiring smaller amounts of lightweight lubricants, and this in turn required more precisely machined mechanical parts made of wear-resistant alloys. In some cases, moving parts usually mounted on conventional bushings were given ball bearing mounting to further reduce friction. This Nikon design practice differs considerably from competitors (Minolta, Canon) who often built their mechanical SLRs with greater tolerances for adequate functioning, and packed the resultant voids with grease. In very cold temperatures, the non-Nikon cameras tend to seize up while the Nikons continue to operate. It is no coincidence that camera techs 'winterising' 35mm SLR cameras for extreme cold weather inevitably chose the Nikon. Conversely, in very hot climates, the excess grease in non-Nikon mechanical cameras tends to melt and flow out from the camera, often combining with sand and grit to jam the mechanism. -Glen. :Gotcha. I understand that, but without the explanation I wouldn't understand the phrase. I wondered if "Minimal Space Lubrication" was some buzzphrase of Nikon's, but Google didn't confirm this. I've therefore removed the phrase, and reworded. My rewording may be too vague; if so, please don't hesitate to improve it. (Well, this is a Wiki, so of course you shouldn't need any encouragement from me before improving my tentative would-be improvements....) Hoary 03:15, 27 May 2006 (EDT) Model name uppercase or lowercase? The article is not consistent between FM3a and FM3A, what was the official Nikon practice? --Rebollo fr 13:55, 31 May 2006 (EDT) Removing dubious phrase The mirror itself is large to reduce chances of vignetting with super-telephotos of up to 800 mm What does the mirror size has to do with vignetting? Removing. -- Cavvieira 14:05, 7 January 2008 (EST) Nikon fm3A shutter Do you know where can we find an híbrid unit shutter for the Nikon FM3A ?